Gabby_White
Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'round the old Oak Tree
This picture was taken at my home when I lived in New York. My mother tied a yellow ribbon around an oak tree to support a friend of the family who had gone to the Persian Gulf to fight in the war. What is really interesting about this picture is that even at age six, I remember this very moment. I remember being so proud of Duwayne and what he had done for our country. What I did not realize at that age was the political arguments surrounding the little piece of ribbon. In 1991, Yellow ribbons popped up on mailboxes, lapels, school entrances, oak trees, businesses, and many other places. When a social movement of yellow ribbons took over our nation, people claimed that the symbolism was neutral. Ribbon wearers started in support for the soldiers who had been deployed, and claimed to be impartial when it came to the war. Support the troops but not the war positions were then created to remind the country what had taken place during the Vietnam Era. People then started reading propaganda that said “Support Desert Storm, Wear a Yellow Ribbon.” So many meanings quickly started showing conflicting views of what Americans thought of the simple ribbon they displayed on their homes. Just like most social movements in this country such as the civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement, and the gay rights movement; people all have opposing views and may not always see eye to eye on issues. All of these movements in our history makes our country what it is today. We were founded in a time of rebellion from the British and conflicts continue to be apart of our history.
Pershing, Linda and Margaret Yocom. Western Folklore 55, no. 1. (1996): 41-85.
www.jstor.org/ (accessed April 2, 2007)
Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'round the old Oak Tree
This picture was taken at my home when I lived in New York. My mother tied a yellow ribbon around an oak tree to support a friend of the family who had gone to the Persian Gulf to fight in the war. What is really interesting about this picture is that even at age six, I remember this very moment. I remember being so proud of Duwayne and what he had done for our country. What I did not realize at that age was the political arguments surrounding the little piece of ribbon. In 1991, Yellow ribbons popped up on mailboxes, lapels, school entrances, oak trees, businesses, and many other places. When a social movement of yellow ribbons took over our nation, people claimed that the symbolism was neutral. Ribbon wearers started in support for the soldiers who had been deployed, and claimed to be impartial when it came to the war. Support the troops but not the war positions were then created to remind the country what had taken place during the Vietnam Era. People then started reading propaganda that said “Support Desert Storm, Wear a Yellow Ribbon.” So many meanings quickly started showing conflicting views of what Americans thought of the simple ribbon they displayed on their homes. Just like most social movements in this country such as the civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement, and the gay rights movement; people all have opposing views and may not always see eye to eye on issues. All of these movements in our history makes our country what it is today. We were founded in a time of rebellion from the British and conflicts continue to be apart of our history.
Pershing, Linda and Margaret Yocom. Western Folklore 55, no. 1. (1996): 41-85.
www.jstor.org/ (accessed April 2, 2007)